Community rallies around Estates family who lost everything in house fire

NAPLES - Contact Julie Thomas at juliethomas3@yahoo.com to see how you can help. Chad Ayotte also said he would make sure any donations dropped off at Sam's Club, 2550 Immokalee Rd., would get to the family.

Chris and Sue Burbage were out buying a Christmas tree when they got the call.

It was their son frantically telling them that their home, 621 18th Ave. N.E., was on fire. The couple rushed home, and Sue Burbage said she saw her worst nightmare become a reality.

"We came home and watched it burn from the street," she said Wednesday.

Andy Marfongella, a fire inspector with the Big Corkscrew Fire Island Fire Control and Rescue District, said his station got a call around 5:50 p.m. Saturday of a house fire. His team was on scene about four minutes later. After putting out the fire, authorities determined the cause to be electrical and believe it may have started in a power strip, Marfongella said.

The fire caused about $80,000 worth of damage and damaged about half of the roof. Marfongella said the family "lost a significant amount" because of the blaze.

Sue Burbage built the house 25 years ago when she was a young mother, and she and her husband raised six children in the home. Though no one was in the house at the time of the fire, the family's cocker spaniel was in the home and died in the fire.

Burbage said that loss has been one of the hardest things in recent days.

"I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and I got the dog when I was diagnosed," she said. "She stood by my side. I got off chemotherapy two weeks ago, and she's gone."

Chad Ayotte, a family friend and Sue Burbage's manger at Sam's Club, said the fire kicked Burbage and her family back down after everything they've been through in the past year.

"Right now they have nothing," Ayotte said. "When I asked her the other day what she needs she said she had nothing."

The community has stepped up to help.

Sue Burbage said the Red Cross put the family up in a local hotel for three days and gave them a gift card to Walmart so they could pick up a few things.

A neighbor had a house that was empty, and Sue Burbage said he offered it to them Saturday night for as long as they needed.

But the kindness didn't stop there. Burbage said she's received help from a variety of sources, including her coworkers at Sam's Club and from two local churches.

Julie Thomas, a volunteer at the Abundant Life Church Center, said she heard about the fire from another church member. When the woman told Thomas about what happened, Thomas said she instantly began organizing friends and community members to help the family.

"It's like something out of a movie," Thomas said. "The community just pulled together."

Thomas said people have been volunteering to bring the family members whatever they need and help clean up their new house so it was ready for the holidays.

Burbage said she and her family — she lived in the house with her husband and two adult sons — are overwhelmed by the support from the community, and that support is making it easier to get through this difficult time.

"Everyone has been wonderful," she said. "They've been calling and asked what do we need. I am not a good taker. I love to help other people and give other people stuff. But (we) have nothing right now, and it's overwhelming what has happened to us, and it is a beautiful blessing to have people just pitch in. You don't see this kind of kindness in people."

Thomas has stopped by the family's temporary home daily since the fire offering support, and said she's surprised with how well they are holding up.

"I was over there yesterday and we were scrubbing the bathrooms ... and she's looking around saying ‘I'm so grateful,'" Thomas said. "They blew me away. I expected her to just break down, and him too."

Burbage said she's hopeful she and her family can stay in the temporary home until at least the first of the year. The family is slowly acquiring furniture and other necessities — on Wednesday a small pick-up truck dropped off a truckload full of furniture for the family — but Burbage said they'll never be able to replace everything they've lost.

"We were insured, but they can't replace the personal things, the memories and things," she said.

One thing was saved: The Burbage's wedding album. Thomas said the couple was able to salvage the photo album. While many of the pages were singed and smelled of smoke, Thomas said the pictures remained intact.